Integration of Peace Education into Multicultural Education/Global Education.

Overview & Synopsis

This paper presents the view that prevailing resentment against new immigrants and other ethnic minorities has clarified for many educators the need for teaching all students skills to resolve conflicts and reduce violence in schools. The paper advocates that peace education be integrated with multicultural education as a way for students to learn these skills, and elaborates on a multidisciplinary approach to the integration of peace education, including links to psychology and political science. On the premise that a long-term approach to developing peacemakers and conflict resolvers is necessary, as less than half of short-term violence prevention programs have claimed to reduce violence, the paper presents an action plan which includes several approaches: (1) integration of human rights education into the social studies curriculum; (2) enhancement of classroom management/discipline systems that blend cultural diversity with peace education and conflict resolution; and (3) increased use of technology to prepare children and youth to live in harmony with a national and global diversity. A resource directory of 51 curriculum guides, literary resources, and classroom strategies is appended. Contains 35 references. (KDFB)